VITO: Sixers' present and future belongs to Carter-Williams

Michael Carter-Williams, left, drives to the basket against the Mavericks’ Vince Carter during a game Friday. With the influx of unfamiliar faces at the trade deadline, the Sixers belong to Carter-Williams now more than ever. (Associated Press)

PHILADELPHIA — Fewer than 60 minutes separated pregame from tipoff Friday when Michael Carter-Williams left the floor and turned toward the locker room. Near the skinny tunnel that connects the two, some of the 76ers’ youngest fans were leaning over the guard rails in an attempt to snag an autograph from their team’s rising star — the Sixers’ only rising star.

After Carter-Williams obliged, stopping to put Sharpie to glossy photo, those same children stuck around. They were trying to find another player with whom they were familiar. Not an easy feat these days.

The Sixers’ rebuilding effort begins and ends with Carter-Williams, the only Sixer who wasn’t expecting a call from his agent at Thursday’s trade deadline. He and Thaddeus Young are perhaps the lone recognizable faces for the club, after separate deals sent away Evan Turner, Spencer Hawes and Lavoy Allen.

Of the two, with no offense to the workmanship and professionalism of Young, Carter-Williams just might have the toughest task at hand for these Sixers. He’s being asked to be a role model and a vocal figure, a scorer and a facilitator, and the face of a rebuilding project — all at the age of 22.

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And, really, the Sixers have no other choice.

This season, Carter-Williams’ rookie campaign, is one of trial and error. He’s been granted heavy minutes and, to paraphrase, has been told, ‘It’s OK to make mistakes.’

He’s been given a license to shoot, been instructed to distribute the ball, been asked to play at the league’s swiftest pace. He’s been given a long leash to learn from the flaws in his game as he meanders through his first NBA season. He’s, at times, committed turnovers in bulk that have been overlooked. And, at times, he’s looked like a bona fide steal at the No. 11 pick in last summer’s draft.

It’s because everything the Sixers do from here forward will be done with Michael Carter-Williams in mind.

“(The Sixers’ trade deadline activity) just amps up the challenge for him to grab this team,” Sixers coach Brett Brown said the other day. “Do you want to be the starting point guard of the Philadelphia 76ers? Is this going to be your team? What are you going to do in this city? Those are real questions that we don’t shy away from. That’s where we’re at.

“The end game — if he can deliver those types of leadership qualities and toughness qualities and play defense — (is) he has a chance to grow and a chance to be a really good player. How good? No one knows. It’s very early. But that responsibility is magnified right now tenfold.”

In all likelihood, Carter-Williams will be the league’s Rookie of the Year. He leads all first-year players with averages of 17.3 points, 6.3 assists, 5.3 rebounds, 2.02 steals and 34.6 minutes. The other night in a loss to Dallas, the Sixers’ 20th defeat in their last 23 times out, Carter-Williams had 25 points, six assists and six boards. It’s the eighth time he’s had at least 25-5-5 this season, while all other rookies had combined for eight such performances.

The stage belongs to Carter-Williams.

It’s distinctly possible that his assists numbers will plunge now that top scorers Turner and Hawes, who combined to average 30.3 points per game, have been cast off. It’s also likely that his scoring and rebounding numbers will skip up, being that the Sixers have even fewer proven shooters around.

Despite all of his accomplishments — two-time Rookie of the Month, one-time Player of the Week, a Rising Stars Challenge choice, a Skills Challenge selection — more is still expected of Carter-Williams.

“Brett and I were talking about Michael in particular the other day about something,” Sixers general manager Sam Hinkie recalled, “and I said, ‘Let’s talk in November.’”

That’s when next season will be at the Sixers’ doorstep. After an offseason of physical recovery for Carter-Williams’ 6-6, 185-pound frame. After an offseason of strength and conditioning training. After an offseason of getting up more shots than he’s ever hoisted.

Between now and then, it’ll be a trying final 26 games.

“I’m looking at my point guard,” Brown said, “and how you respond to the end of this year is going to be very telling on what we are going to expect of you moving forward, and I expect big things from him.”

That tends to happen to the most-recognizable face in the locker room.